This invention relates generally to water treatment equipment, but more particularly pertains to an improved means for effectively removing electrolytic energy from within a vessel of water, or the like, such as an industrial or domestic water heater, and which normally can lead to mineral deposits upon the internal conductive surfaces inherently within such equipment, or the piping connecting therewith.
The deposit of mineral material upon metallic or other surfaces, generally conductive surfaces, located within water handling and treating equipment has long been a problem associated with this particular art. The existance of mineral trace elements within water, or other fluids, that are being treated by the aforesaid type of equipment has long plagued the industry. In fact, what has been experienced by the applicant, is that tubes or piping that connect with water handling and treating equipment, and particularly hot water boilers, can lead, within a relatively short period of time, to calcium and other mineral deposits that substantially block or very nearly curtail the flow of water therethrough, and thereby substantially decrease the efficiency of operation of such equipment. It is believed that mineral deposits occur as a result of electrolytic action that does take place within the water processing equipment, and the fact that such mineral deposition takes place can be readily deduced from observing the interior of any pipe that is constructed of iron, copper, or any other conductive material, wherein the mineral deposits that uniformly form a scale around the entire inner circumference of the pipe can be readily seen.
The pipes alone, as connected to the water handling equipment, are not only attacked by mineral deposits, but in addition, any type of apparatus that requires the use of water or other conductive liquid are subjected to such deterioration. Boilers, water heaters, condensors, bottle washers, pasteurizers, water coolers, and related equipment, are all of the type of equipment that can be subject to the formation of scale upon their inner surfaces, as below the waterline, particularly if these apparatuses are formed of a conductive material.
But, it has been found, as so fully explained in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,147,607, as previously alluded to, that the provision of some means within the flow of water within these types of apparatuses can effectively ground or diminish the electric charge within such water, and can significantly reduce the damage heretofore sustained by such water handling apparatuses. And, as is now known, formation of scale itself upon the inner surfaces of water treating apparatuses is not in and of itself the only damage perpetrated by this action, but that scale formation also can give rise to pitting and other deteriorations at the scale-metal interface, with corrosion of the metallic surface eventually occurring. This generally is one of the main causes that gives rise to the demise of water heaters, wherein internal corrosion of the heater, and particularly that surface that is exposed to the water, eventually corrodes to the point of failure.
Numerous various types of water treating equipment are generally known in the prior art, and have functioned to some extent effectively for achieving mineral deposit and scale reduction, but many of these devices have not given recognition to the need to obtain the most effective removal of electrostatic charge, and such can be readily seen in the prior U.S. Pat. No. 2,499,670, to Neeley, wherein the electrode itself connects through supporting structure to the outer sheet of the boiler, and hence, any grounding achieved in this manner has reduced benefits on the formation of scale upon the inner surfaces of the shown boiler. The earlier patents, in the United States to Bremerman, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,893,938, 2,975,769, 3,595,774, and 3,620,951, have recognized the necessity to insulate the electrode from the reservoir surface so that a more effective grounding of the electrode can be made. One problem, though, with these Bremerman style of devices is that his mounting component usually was constructed of a Bakelite material, or some other form of resin insulator, and such insulators have been found to exhibit the tendency to absorb moisture and eventually weaken the insulator causing grounding through itself. Thus, such prior art electrodes, while being effective in their early stages of usage, eventually become self-deteriorated due to their prolonged exposure to the moisture within the vessel, and thus eventually and substantially decrease in their efficiency of operation.
My earlier invention discloses the probe-type style of insulated grounding means that inserts within the vessel of water, and also, shows the tube-style of lay-in unit that works rather effectively within cooling towers, or the like, and function therein to ground the static electrical charge from within the moisture and water contained and passing through such apparatuses. The general object of this current invention is to add to the efficiency of operation of my prior apparatuses, and to more effectively eliminate that static electrical charge contained within the fluids passing through the water handling equipment.
It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide a more efficiently and effectively operating grounding apparatus for the removal of electrostatic charge and electricity from the water passing through water handling equipment.
A further object of this invention is to provide a conductor formed as a probe and which incorporates increased surface area for contact with the water passing through the apparatus, and in addition, disposes this increased area in a manner that stimulates and encourages a greater quantity of the water to circulate around the grounding probe in order to more effectively remove electrolytic energy from the vessel.
A further object of this invention is to provide a grounding probe that extends within a vessel of water, having increased surface area that is helically wound in the form of a rod around the surface and along the length of the grounding probe, in order to stimulate greater water circulation around the probe during its flow through the water handling equipment.
Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a grounding apparatus for water treating equipment that more effectively removes older formed scale deposits adhering to the inner surfaces of such equipment, such as below its waterline.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of this nature and which is so effective in operation that it minimizes substantially the maintainence and operating service and cost normally required in the prolonged usage of such equipment.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for removal of electrolytic energy from fluids, and due to its unique construction can be made to considerable length, due to the coupling of multiple sections of the apparatus together, so as to provide and greater facilitate the computed length of apparatus required for handling charge grounding in direct relation to the size of the water handling equipment being treated.
These and other objects will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the summary of this invention, and upon undertaking a study of the description of its preferred embodiment in view of the drawing.